KEY POINTS:
Among the hundreds of pages of promotional and technical material handed out at the international media launch for the all-new Audi A4 sedan, one carefully chosen phrase sticks in the mind: the "sportiest mid-size saloon".
Some mistake, surely? The A4 has always been the quietly classy, beautifully built one in this segment. The sporty stuff has always been left to the BMW 3-series, long regarded as a benchmark for driver involvement.
The A4's job is to change the sporting status quo. It's based on Audi's new "modular toolbox", a platform with the axle pushed 154mm forwards and redesigned suspension systems for improved weight distribution and better handling.
The same platform concept was used for the just-launched S5/A5 coupe.
We're some time away from the new A4 in New Zealand. Specification details are still being negotiated, but expect a local launch in March-April 2008. It's likely the 3.2-litre Quattro version will be first, followed by a 2.7-litre turbo diesel (TDI) with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and front-drive.
We'll then see the muscular 3.0-litre TDI, which has a completely redesigned engine, and the entry-level four-cylinder petrol and TDI models.
In its quest for a truly sporty A4, Audi has referenced rival BMW in a number of obvious ways. There's a new (optional) Dynamic Steering system, which varies the number of turns lock-to-lock depending on road speed - just like BMW's Active Steering (AS).
Then there's the sharp new styling: that mix of concave and convex curves owes a lot to BMW's "flame surfacing" design style.
But to surpass the master pays the debt, and Audi has certainly done that with its Dynamic Steering. While BMW's AS lacks consistency and low-speed feel, Audi's system is beautifully linear. It endows the car with a nimble feel, yet operates unobtrusively.
Dynamic Steering is integrated into yet another driver-assistance system called Drive Select, which is standard on six-cylinder models. With the push of a button, the driver can change the steering ratio/assistance, throttle response, automatic transmission behaviour and adaptive dampers between three different modes.
Or if you want to get really technical, you can even tweak the individual settings within the Multi Media Interface (MMI) cabin controller.
Other options new to A4 include Side Assist - the radar warning system already offered on the Q7 crossover - and Lane Assist, which sends subtle vibrations through the steering wheel if you stray over the white lines.
Europe has gone a bit bling this season - at least if the proliferation of sparkly belts and gold sneakers are anything to go by.
The A4, best known for its understated style, has turned up the visual volume with that sharper styling and some striking daytime "running lights". As on the flashy S6 and R8 models, the A4 sedan equipped with gas-discharge front lamps also gets a wave of bright LEDs - 14 each side.
The A4 was an impressive machine on the winding, billiard-table-smooth roads of Sardinia: grippy and seemingly cured of the nose-heavy handling attitude associated with Audis of the recent past. How well the dynamics translate to New Zealand's bumpy coarse-chip tarmac is yet to be revealed.
But the greatest compliment I can pay is to say that what should have been the least dynamically able version - the 2.7-litre TDI with a CVT gearbox and front-wheel drive - was a highly entertaining experience, with accurate steering, great throttle response and a relatively neutral cornering stance.
The 3.0 TDI was still the highlight, though: it lacks the near-ideal weight distribution of the less powerful models and weighs in at a hefty 1655kg, but still feels incredibly nimble and has a massive 500Nm at 1500rpm to draw upon.
Whether it's truly the sportiest car in its segment remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: this A4 is worth waiting for.
